Sunday, August 24, 2008

What a display! I have just watched the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing. I would love to have watched the opening ceremony but did not manage to fit it in. Every time I see one of these events I am reminded of the brilliance and excellence of human skill and endeavor. We always say 'this is the best ever' and 'no one will ever match this' but time and time again we manage to pull off another outstanding display of brilliance. Beijing was no different.

Why are we so clever? Do you see animals create and design like we do? We are the only living being to have this ability - why? The Bible gives the answer - we were created in the image of God. Our appreciation of beauty and skill is universal. The human imagination is unsurpassed by any other species. When God created us out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2) and breathed into us the breath of life we received a distinctiveness in makeup and personality that no other creature possesses.

We are unique in other ways as well. We all have a sense of right and wrong. We know good and evil. We react to injustice and cruelty. An appreciation of these values may be deadened by an insensitive conscience (the effect of wrongdoing and sin sears the conscience) but they are universal values. Our awareness of right and wrong and our weakness in doing what is right so often is explained by the Bible statement 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'.

Sin and death came to our planet through the conscious act of the first man (Adam) - 'by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin'. That sadly is another universal fact - we all die. One of the only 100% statistics. The verse from the Bible quoted above explains why this is so.

In closing this blog I want to remind you that mankind's greatest problem has been answered by the creator, God, by a universal solution. 'The Father sent the Son to be the saviour of the world'. Everyone in the world has broken the law of God and as a result is guilty. The penalty and punishment for our sin is eternal death (eternal banishment from God and his love, mercy, kindness, grace etc). The provision of God for all of us is this. 'The Father sent the Son to be the saviour of the world'. The claim of the God's word is that Jesus Christ God's Son 'came into the world to save sinners'.

Two thousand and eight years ago Jesus Christ was born. He came from heaven to earth. Born of a the virgin (Mary) he lived a pure and holy life - 100% perfect. For three years (approximately from aged thirty to thirty three) he performed miracles to provide evidence to support the claim that he is God's Son. At the age of thirty three he allowed the authorities to crucify him. His death paid the price for all of our wrong and satisfied the creator's heart that justice had been met.

You can have this salvation today if you admit to God (in prayer) that you have sinned and rest on what the Lord Jesus did when he died to save you. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.